Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock is a kitchen staple I try to have on-hand at all times. It’s perfect for soups and sauces, and gives quinoa and rice extra flavor when you use it in place of water. And the best part is, it’s a cinch to make yourself, and a whole lot cheaper than buying it pre-made. Plus, those pre-packaged stocks contain lots of sodium, so making your own means you know exactly what’s in it!

Here’s a tip: I like to keep a container of kitchen scraps in my freezer as I cook throughout the week – tops of leeks, mushroom stems, onion skins, carrot tops – then once it’s full, I’m ready to “stock up.”

The recipe below is simply a guideline – you can follow it as is, or experiment with what you have on hand. It’s important, though, to have a a similar ratio of onions, celery, and carrots as listen below. Wanna turn this into vegetable stock? Eliminate the chicken and add some earthy vegetables like mushrooms and potatoes! Make sure to check out our “Simple In Sixty: Chicken Stock” episode and follow along with the recipe below!

Chicken Stock

1 chicken carcass

1 onion, cut in half, skin on

1 shallot, cut in half, skin on

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 carrots

3 ribs celery

1/2 apple

herb bundle (rosemary/parsley/sage/thyme combo)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp peppercorns

Put all the ingredients in a large stock pot and fill with water. Bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, immediately turn it down to a simmer. Allow stock to simmer for 3-4 hours and strain into a large bowl. Once the stock cools, skim off any fat and refrigerate. You can freeze it in pre-measured portions, or even in an ice cube tray for perfect tablespoon servings!